Public Relations 101

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Public Relations 101

• Sonya Hwang
• Ki Communications

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Agenda

• What is PR?
• How to Write a Communications Plan
• What is a Story?
• DIY PR or Out-of-house PR
• What a PR Professional Can Do For You
• Resources Reading

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What is PR?

• Public relations is a tool to shape public
  opinion.
• Advertising is what you say about yourself.
  Public Relations is what you get others to say
  about you.

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The Communications Plan

• What is it?
• A blueprint of yearly communications activities
  that well executed, should enhance your companys
  image and create or reinforce a brand, all the
  while increasing sales and profits.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Situation Analysis
• An analysis of the current situation including
  travel trends, SWOT analysis, detailed
  description of programs, products and services,
  current public opinion, competition.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Goals Objectives
• Goals General directors that are not specific
  enough to be measured.
• Objectives Specific and measureable.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Audience Identification
• Who exactly is going to be affected by your plan?
  
• Who exactly are you trying to persuade?
• Youre going to need cooperation from others who
  will this be? Where are they located? How do you
  find them?

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Strategies
• Strategies should include the who, how and what
  of accomplishing your objectives.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Possible strategies
• Build a Media Database
• What is it?
• A list of writers, broadcasters, websites and
  TV programs that may be of assistance to you.
• Media Calls/Media Pitches
• What is it?
• Individualized pitches that strive to gain
  exposure in high-profile targeted publications
  and media outlets.
• Media Familiarization Tours/Press Trips
• What is it?
• Organized visitation from targeted individuals
  or a qualified group of media.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Possible strategies (continued)
• Press releases
• What is it?
• Newsworthy information on subjects,
  developments, packages, promotions.
• Press kit
• What is it?
• A compilation of information about your product
  that
• usually includes a fact sheet, history about your
  product,
• press releases detailing unique aspects about
  your
• product, brochures, business card

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Tactics
• Tactics are the specific action items you will
  take to support your strategies and meet your
  objectives. Include specific dates as to when the
  tactics are to be completed.

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Components of a Communications Plan

• Evaluation
• Once your Communications Plan is completed,
  evaluate whether your objectives have been met.
  If not, determine why.

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A Successful Communications Plan Should

• Generate sales
• Be cost effective
• Promote word of mouth
• Be credible
• Shape consumer attitude
• Develop consumer trust
• Create leads

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What is a Story??

• Whats New? What is it that you have that is
  news, unique or different?
• Get a Group - Editors are sometimes hesitant to
  write about a single tourism source, thinking it
  doesnt give readers full picture of options in a
  given area. Find a grouping provides a wider
  more attractive base for a story.
• Track Trends Are you up on the latest trends?
  Anytime you tie your great stories into a new
  trend something editors havent written about
  before, youll stand a very good chance of
  getting that story printed.
• Celebrate Celebrities Many of us like to visit
  the places where the richest and famous spend
  their time. It validates the experience for many
  people.
• Go Green Stories focusing on environmental
  awareness are hot, hot, hot in all sections of
  the newspaper, magazines, radio and television.

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DIY PR versus Out-of-house PR

• Do-it-Yourself PR
• Pros
• You retain control of the way things go.??
• The contacts you make are your own and you can
  build relationships with the press.??
• You and your team will learn skills and unleash
  abilities along the way that will benefit other
  parts of your business.??
• This is often the cheapest option.??
• Cons
• Time consuming!??

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DIY PR vs.Out-of-house PR

• Hiring a PR Professional or an Agency
• Pros
• You have access to their contacts
• You are able to harness their knowledge and
  expertise
• It frees up your time
• Cons
• This is a more expensive option
• You can portray the passion behind the business
  much more effectively than someone who is being
  paid to do so??

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What a PR Professional Can Do for You

• Research
• This involves keeping up to date with newspapers,
  websites, trade and professional publications,
  magazines, radio shows and TV. ??
• Planning your PR strategy
• This includes market research into what image you
  need to project to your potential customers and
  devising a plan with a suitable timescale.
• Building relationships with journalists and
  editors
• This could involve lunches, networking, and going
  to trade events where you know they will be
  covering stories.

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What a PR Professional Can Do for You

• Writing PR material
• This could include web pages, press releases,
  articles for inclusion on your own and other
  websites (in exchange for links), articles for
  the press, newsletters and regular tips and hints
  for editors.
• Day to day PR
• Chasing up press releases and phoning journalist
  with a story giving interviews following up
  past "bites" or interviews to see when article
  are being published arranging for photos, links,
  photographs etc buying publications and
  organizing clippings.
• Co-ordinating all the above so that they run
  smoothly!?

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How to find a PR professional?

• Ask around! Look for the best fit.
• Canadian Public Relations Society www.cprs.org

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Resources Reading

• Tourism BCs Travel Media Relations course
  offered through their Tourism Business
  Essentials program. Chris Lofft at 604 660 3673
  or chris.lofft_at_tourismbc.com
• Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC)
  www.travelmedia.ca
• Fletcher, Tana and Julia Rockler. Getting
  Publicity. 3rd Edition. Bellingham, WA
  Self-Counsel Press, 2000. (www.selfcounsel.com)
• Ries, Al and Laura. The Fall of Advertising The
  Rise of PR. New York, NY Harper Collins, 2002.

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Contact information

• Sonya Hwang
• Ki Communications
• Ph 604 932 0308
• sonya_at_kicommunications.ca